Of Other Things
by The3tostitos
Summary: Life as a Boston Dawson is luxurious and restrictive. Ella, on the other hand, didn't let it stop her from venturing on the RMS Titanic, seeking truer pleasures, and befriending lively people.
1. Southampton

_April 10, 1912_

 _11:30 a.m._

Among the many docks of Southampton, the Harland & Wolff shipyard was bustling with hundreds of men, women, and children, for the grand _RMS Titanic_ was setting sail to leave for America. Cars were dropping off First Class passengers, and Third Class families stood in queues for health inspections. Cargo was being lifted onto the ship, and servants were carrying baggage of the rich folk. It was a busy place, even so in the nearby cafes and stores.

One such girl, by the name of Ella Dawson, was emerging from a vehicle and standing in awe of the ship that many people deemed "unsinkable". She personally believed that no ship could be unsinkable, but she hardly had time to reflect on this thought, for her brother, Benjamin Dawson, came to her side and remarked, "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

Ella turned to her brother and replied, "Too bad mother and father didn't come to Europe with us."

Ben shrugged and went over to talk to their maid and servant, Alice and Horace, to bring their luggage. With the two of them holding their possessions, Ben held his arm out to Ella, and they began their walk to the First Class gangway.

"Are you excited to be back in America, Ben?"

"Certainly! I've had enough of England, and my friends are expecting me," he said with a wink. Ben had been courting a girl back in Boston, and he knew that she didn't want him to travel, but much to her reluctance, he did travel, and he did miss her.

"I wish _I_ had good friends! All Marissa ever does is talk about her parents' wealth and suitors," Ella said. Marissa Williams was Ella's friend by family, and her parents owned many jewelry stores, making them rich.

In spite of living in a family of abundant wealth, Ella was often unhappy at times, and she wished for a carefree life in Third Class, but she knew that her parents wouldn't let her do such a thing. Frankly, Ben felt the same way, so they always talked amongst each other about snobbish First Class ladies.

As they were nearing an officer at the door of the ship, they took out their boarding tickets and held them out toward the man.

"Welcome aboard!" the officer said to them with a smile. He was a tall man with trim brown hair and light blue eyes that reflected the clear skies.

Ben chuckled and responded with a hello. Ella, on the other hand, went to shake his hand. "And a welcome to you as well!" she responded.

In reply, the officer gave his name. "Second Officer Charles Lightoller," he said with a friendly grin.

"Ella Dawson, pleasure to meet you," she said with mirth in her bright blue eyes, and with that they walked on board the ship.

As Ella was catching up with her brother and their servants, Ben gave her a confused look. "What was that for?" Ella asked.

"You didn't need to have a _conversation_ with him. Just show the ticket is all!"

She rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Just trying to be friendly."

Ben shook his head with mirth in his calm green eyes and linked his arm with hers. "You can be crazy, but you're my favorite sister!"

"Your one and only," she giggled.

They approached the Grand Staircase and glanced back at their tickets. "I believe we are in B-59 and B-61, " he said.

Ella nodded, and the four of them caught an elevator up to B deck. Upon leaving, Ella gave a kind thank you to the operator, and they trudged along the elegant white corridor.

Once they reached their rooms, Ben inserted the keys into both of the rooms, and Ella immediately rushed into her suite. The walls were a rich wood with golden fixtures, and a lovely marble fireplace was set against the wall. Ben and Ella each had a main room, bathroom, master bedroom, and adjoining bedroom for their servants.

Ben entered his room and said to Horace, "Please put my clothes in the wardrobe, and adjust the beds." Horace nodded and began to unpack the abundant baggage which he had carried in.

While Ella was gazing at the dock through her main window, Alice had already put away the dresses in the wardrobe and approached her lady. "Will you be needing any more assistance, m'lady?"

"No, thank you," Ella replied. "You may do as you wish. I will need your assistance before lunch."

Alice curtsied and exited the room. Upon her exit, Ben came strolling into the room. He stood beside Ella gazing out the window until she turned to face him.

"Would you like to join me on deck for departure?" he asked. Taking out his pocket watch, he said, "It's a quarter to twelve."

"Of course," she replied with amusement, and with that, they locked the doors and walked down the corridor to the staircase.

"What are you wishing for on this journey?" Ben asked as they were walking.

"Perhaps I could make a new friend," she said. "After all, there are hundreds of people onboard, and I'm bound to at least bump into anyone."

At that moment, she accidentally bumped into a gentleman on the way up the staircase, escorted by a girl. Instantly, Ella said, "Pardon me," to the unknown man. The man turned to face her and shook his head with understanding.

"No use, dear. My apologies," he replied with modesty and a gentle smile. The man was assumingly in his late thirties, and his escort was a beautiful brunette girl with lovely brown eyes.

The girl turned to Ella and gave a friendly smile. "This is my daughter, Elizabeth, and I'm Thomas Andrews," the man replied.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Andrews, and to you, Elizabeth," Ella replied. "I'm Ella Dawson, and this is my brother, Benjamin."

Benjamin, at the time, was looking at Mr. Andrews as if he looked familiar. He also glanced at Elizabeth with a priceless expression, perhaps of interest.

"Thomas Andrews, you say?" Ben asked with surprise.

"Yes, young man," Mr. Andrews replied without a condescending tone.

"You must be the shipbuilder!" Ben said with excitement in his voice. "It's an honor to meet you in person, sir." Ben shook his hand earnestly.

Elizabeth and Ella were chuckling in response, while Mr. Andrews expressed gratitude to Ben.

"I daresay it's a honor to meet you, Ben," Mr. Andrews said. "I've heard a lot about your family's business. The Boston Dawson's, if I'm correct?"

"Yes, sir," Ben said.

"I've met your father when he visited the docks of Liverpool. You've inherited his eyes."

Ben was taken aback by this, and nevertheless was blushing a light shade of pink. Elizabeth took notice of this and looked away with blush on her cheeks as well, noticing Ben's green eyes.

Mr. Andrews took out his pocket watch and read the time. "Excuse me, but it is already ten to noon!" Mr. Andrews remarked with amusement. "I must be heading up to the bridge on deck. Would you all like to join me?"

Ben, Ella, and Elizabeth agreed, and the four of them continued the ascent to the top floor. On the way, Ella was making conversation with Mr. Andrews, while Ben and Elizabeth were having their own chat.

"Mr. Andrews, your ship is truly a wonder," Ella replied with awe. "I'm bound to get lost in the halls!"

"Thank you, Ella," Mr. Andrews replied modestly. "And if you need any help, you can find me or a crew member."

"How does it feel to be the daughter of the ship's architect?" Ben asked Elizabeth.

"It's nothing extreme," Elizabeth said. "But I love my father to death, and I find _Titanic_ to be absolutely splendid!"

Ben nodded and smirked. "Have you ever been to America before?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "My grandparents live half an hour away from New York. I've always loved stopping by."

At this moment, the four had walked onto the crowded deck of the port side of the ship. Children stood against the railing, waving to loved ones, and some men were even cracking jokes to each other to pass the time.

Mr. Andrews turned to the other three and asked, "Would you all come with me to the bridge once the ship is clear of the harbor?"

The other three nodded, and they sat down upon nearby deck chairs. Mr. Andrews was jotting things upon his precious black notebook. Ella was looking up into the sky and closing her eyes, feeling the warm salt air on her face with fervor. Elizabeth was doing the same as Ella, and Ben … he was engaged in the lovely sight of Elizabeth.

Mr. Andrews noticed the three and smiled with amusement. He found it to be a priceless moment.

Further down the deck, Captain Edward J. Smith was standing upon the deck of the bridge, looking out with delight at the weather perfect for sailing. Beside of him was a middle-aged man with gray eyes and an officer uniform.

"Wilde," Smith said to his partner. "Are the engines ready?"

"Yes, sir," The man identified as Wilde said. He was formerly known as Chief Officer Henry Wilde. "Should be any time now."

Smith nodded and walked inside of the wheelhouse, at which another crew member was at the helm. He checked the readings of the equipment and walked back upon the deck. He nodded back to Wilde, and Wilde notioned for the hornmen.

Suddenly, a long honk emitted from the _Titanic_ , and the propellers began the endless cycle of spinning. Alas, the ship began to move, and a crow of cheers erupted from the dock people and the passengers alike. Tugboats pulled the giant towards the open seas, and ship made its way toward ocean.

Two officers were standing side by side on the starboard side, gazing out at the empty waters, save for the tugboats.

"Can you feel it, Harry?" one officer said to the other. "It's finally the moment we've been waiting for for the past month!"

"Indeed," the officer identified as Harry said in a Welsch accent. "And your mummie isn't here to see it, Jimmy."

The officer known as Jimmy chuckled and nudged Harry. "Neither is yours," he said with amusement.

Another officer came to the two and rested his hands on the railing. "Hello, fellows," he replied with mirth.

"Lights!" Jimmy screamed as he gave the man a bear hug. At this, other passengers on the starboard side looked at them with puzzlement. Lights shook his head with a chuckle as he returned the hug. "Jimmy, you're too much."

Jimmy ignored this and responded, "Are you just sad that I'm better at it than you?"

"Who said anything of the sort?!" Lights said. Harry and Jimmy looked at each other and burst out into a fit of laughter. Lights noticed this and shrugged. "Oh, all right."

"How were the First Class people?" Harry asked.

"They were full of themselves, typically," Lights shrugged. "But one girl did manage to greet me."

Jimmy nudged him playfully and said, "Sylvia won't be happy to hear this. You might just walk home with a new wife at this rate!"

Lights hushed him and said, "And what about you, Jimmy, in Third Class?"

"Normal," Jimmy said, "but a blonde boy and Italian came at the last second. Amusing, if you ask me." He shook his head with a chuckle. "And Harry?"

"There's nothing special about just walking around," Harry said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "All I did was crack a few jokes with Fleet." He gestured up to the crow's nest, at which two crew members were laughing and nudging each other playfully. With a smile, he said, "They want to plan a prank."

"On who?" Lights and Jimmy asked at the same time.

"I'll tell you later," Harry said. "It looks like we have company."

Indeed, an officer was walking in their direction. The officer pulled Lights aside and whispered in his ear. Lights nodded and turned back to face the men.

"Well , it looks like Herbert and I are off for our own plans," Lights said. "See you around."

The man identified at Herbert waved at them, and the two were off walking down the deck.

Looking after them, Harry asked Jimmy, "So what do you want to do?"

"I've got two hours until my rounds," Jimmy said. "So I suppose we head down to the mess hall and grab a bite."

"Sounds good," Harry said, and with that, they walked to the crew stairs.

 **I hoped you enjoyed! Ella and Ben are of the Boston Dawsons that JJ Astor was referring to (in the movie), and Elizabeth is Thomas Andrews' daughter (of course, older than in real life). There is more to come of both scenes, so stay tuned! This is my first Titanic fanfic, so I'm not quite used to the characters just yet. I would greatly appreciate any reviews, and I hope you find this story to be entertaining. There will be POV's coming up, but I just wanted this first chapter to be narrative. There will be romance involved, so I would like to hear any thoughts you may have.**

 **Side note: Ryan Gosling inspired my image of Ben, Britt Robertson for Ella, and Emmy Rossum as Elizabeth (just in case you guys wanted to know).**

 **Disclaimer: I own Ella and Ben, and AU of Elizabeth, but all other characters are by James Cameron and real life!**


	2. All For A Little Mischief

**Ella Dawson POV:**

We had only been out on the port deck for five minutes or so when Mr. Andrews stood up from his chair and motioned for us to follow him.

"The ship is underway, and now I would like to introduce all of you to the bridge."

I stood up with more adrenaline than necessary, eager to learn more about the majestic ship. Ben simply reached his hand down to Elizabeth to pull her up from her seat.

"Thank you, Ben," Elizabeth had said, flashing her pearly white teeth.

"Ah, no problem," he had responded, a charming grin upon his face.

Catching up to Mr. Andrews, I asked him if he could introduce us to the crew of the ship.

"Of course, Ella!" he said. "They would be happy to meet all of you."

Upon saying this, we reached the bridge, and an officer came to greet us.

"Hello to you all," he said with delight. "I am Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall. But you can call me Joe."

"Hello, Joe!" I said with a friendly smile.

Joe responded, "Hello to you to, Miss…"

"Dawson," I replied. "Ella Dawson. And this is my brother, Benjamin." I gestured to Ben, who gave a nice wave.

"And you must be familiar with my daughter, Elizabeth," Mr. Andrews said, to which Elizabeth smiled and said,"Hey, Joe!"

"Hello to you all," Joe said with another smile. "The rest of the officers are in the mess hall for lunch, as you can see by the empty bridge." He gestured as he was speaking. "But if you all would like, you can come and meet the crew!"

"Splendid!" I replied with as much joy as I could muster.

Joe chuckled and said, "Now follow me; it can be easy to get lost on a big boat like this!"

Following him, we went down the stairs into the crew quarters and walked down the corridor. At the last door, we stopped as Joe opened the door and motioned for us to enter.

The crew's mess hall was filled with various men and women in uniform, lined up at the counter and sitting at the many tables. One of the largest tables in the room was seated with men wearing official caps: officers.

One of the officers at the table caught Joe's eye and motioned for us to greet them. The five of us walked over to the table, and the men stood up.

Captain Smith came to us and said, "Welcome! I'm Captain Smith, and these are our officers." He waved his arm at the men behind him.

One of the men came over and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Chief Officer Wilde."

Another man with startling sea green eyes came over and introduced himself as First Officer Murdoch.

One by one, the rest of the men introduced themselves, and we all shook hands.

Afterward, Ben immediately began conversing and cracking laughs with Murdoch and Elizabeth was talking to Smith with her father at hand. But I first noticed one of the officers making his way towards me. He was a tall individual, and he had tousled brown hair hidden beneath his cap.

"Hello, I'm Harold Lowe, Fifth Officer," he said with a grin. "But everyone calls me Harry."

I immediately took his hand, to which he shook it firmly. "I'm Ella Dawson." I pointed to Ben. "And that is my brother, Ben. It's nice to meet you, Harry."

Harry thoughtfully agreed with a slight blush on his face, but it was quickly broken when another officer was with us.

"Harry, don't keep the ladies from me!" the officer said with amusement. Turning back to me, he said, "I'm Sixth Officer James Moody, or Jimmy."

"Pleasure to meet you, Jimmy," I said as I took his hand to shake it. "How has life been onboard _Titanic_?"

"Exhausting," Jimmy replied, rolling his eyes. "I hardly get sleep with our odd round hours."

"Rounds?" I asked with a confused expression.

"It's our shifts," Harry said to me. "We all go on shifts. Six hours at a time."

"Bloody, if you ask me," Jimmy whispered while glancing over at Wilde, who immediately came over to us.

Wilde shook a finger at Jimmy as he said, "Enough with the complaining, boy! Or should I give you double rounds?"

Jimmy immediately began apologizing with exaggeration, and I looked over at Harry as we were both giggling at Jimmy.

Harry motioned me over to the side, and we stepped away from our preoccupied friends. "It's nice to know at least _one_ sane person in this room," Harry responded, mirth evident in his kind brown eyes. "If idiots could fly, the crew hall would be an _airport_!"

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but emerge into a fit of laughter, to which Harry joined in. Together, we were laughing, right up to the point when Murdoch walked over to us with a priceless look of puzzlement.

"What in heck's name are the two of you laughing at?" he asked us.

"Nothing," Harry said with a dismissive shrug and a chuckle. "We were talking about the lack of sane people down here."

"I can agree with _that_ ," Murdoch said with a sigh. "I feel like I'm going to explode from hearing Jimmy's jokes." He glanced over at Jimmy, who was now emitting laughter with Wilde.

"He sure knows how to lighten the mood," I said wistfully.

Murdoch looked down at his pocket watch and let out a sigh. "It looks like I have to leave for my rounds. Take care." He waved goodbye and made his way to the exit.

Harry looked around the room before nudging me. I looked up at him, and he whispered in my ear, "I was planning a prank on Murdoch with our lookouts, Freddie and Reggie, and some other officers. Seeing as Jimmy and Lights are busy, would _you_ like to help me with it?"

"Why not?" I agreed after a moment's pause, and so he motioned for me to follow him to the door.

Once we were out of earshot, and out of the room, Harry whispered to me, "We are planning on bombarding Murdoch with 'goodies'."

"What kind of 'goodies'," I asked as Harry was stopping to unlock a door in the crew corridor.

"Water balloons, confetti, and that sort of thing," he said as he opened the door and retrieved a box from the floor.

"What does it have to do with Murdoch?" I asked in confusion as I shut the door behind Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes before he said to me, "You know, we're going to _throw_ it at him!"

"Ohh," I said, hitting my head in frustration. "But how exactly are we going to do this?"

After we reached the stairs up onto the deck, he said, "We will do it from the roof of the wheelhouse."

Before I could respond to this, Harry put a finger to my mouth and led me to the side of the wheelhouse. He peeped his head around the corner of the starboard side and motioned for me to take a look.

Walking down the deck with his back turned toward us was an officer, preoccupied in his inspections of the deck. It was none other than Murdoch himself.

"I will help you up on the roof, and you will pull me up," Harry whispered. "Once I give the all-clear, we will _bombard_!"

I giggled at his tone of excitement as he began lifting me up on the roof. Once I was safely up, I pulled Harry up by his arms, and we crawled to the edge of the roof. Harry handed me a gun filled with multicolored confetti, and he grabbed an arm-full of balloons.

Before I knew it, Harry gave me the thumbs up, and we began firing at Murdoch with our "arsenals".

In only a matter of seconds, Murdoch was engulfed in a coat of confetti, and he winced as he was soaked to the bone. Freddie and Reggie from the crow's nest also bombarded with weapons of their own: spray adhesive and loads of birdseed.

It only took two seconds for the multicolored Murdoch to turn around and spot the two of us on the deck before he yelled, "What in blaze's name are the both of you doing?"

Harry had already helped himself down, and he held out his arms for me to land in. In a swift movement, I jumped and was caught gently in his arms before we gazed into each other's eyes.

The moment only lasted for a few seconds when Murdoch shouted, "You ain't getting away with this!"

"Come on, Ella!" Harry said to me as he let me down and grabbed my hand. Before I had a chance to reflect on it, he was pulling me into a run as we sprinted around the wheelhouse to the port side.

My lungs were burning as we rushed past the bridge and neared the First Class dining saloon. The smell of food emitted from the room, but I could hardly reflect on it, for Harry pulled me around the corner to the starboard side of the ship.

Once we rounded the corner, we bumped into Lightoller ("Lights") and another officer, Third Officer Herbert Pittman, sending them into puzzlement.

"What the …," Lights said, whilst his blue eyes were widened.

Herbert shook his head. "Harry, you sure are one crazy boy!" he said. "What were the two of you doing?"

"We just played a prank on Murdoch!" Harry said with an adventurous voice. "He's going to kill us!"

"What _exactly_ did the two of you _do_?" Lights asked.

"You'll find out later," Harry said. "But for now we have to go!" Murdoch's steps were already getting closer.

"Nice to make your acquaintance again, Ella," Lights said with a chuckle as we were running off.

Harry grabbed my hand as we rushed past Lights and Herbert through the First Class entrance. We bypassed by the Grand Staircase and made our way through the corridor.

We stopped against the wall, catching our breath, before Harry turned to me and asked, "How was _that_ for being a First Class lady?"

"Thrilling," I replied, still breathing heavily. "I haven't done that in _years_!"

Harry met my gaze and looked away, a blush already forming on his cheeks. "You sure are missing out!"

"Indeed," I said as I was slumping down onto the floor.

Harry followed my movement and laced his fingers behind his head before saying, "I haven't got a bite to eat yet." He brought out his pocket watch before saying, "And it's almost a quarter to one."

I pondered this before saying, "I originally had plans to eat with Ben in the First Class dining saloon. But, if you would like, you can join me."

Harry paused dramatically before saying, "I _am_ awfully hungry." He made a show of rubbing his belly.

"Great!" I said while hopping to my feet."But I need to go to my room and get ready."

Harry stood up with me as we began walking back to the staircase. "What floor?" he asked me.

"B deck," I replied as we made our way down a flight of stairs.

"It must be nice living in First Class," Harry thought out loud. "Being an officer, we _surely_ don't get much."

"First Class is okay," I said as we began down the corridor. " But I would rather travel in Third Class."

"I couldn't agree more," Harry said truthfully as we stopped to unlock my door. "But I thought that First Class was a secure life."

"It is," I said as I sat onto a couch in the main room. "But it isn't a happy life for me."

Upon sitting down, Alice had emerged from the bedroom and came to my side as I said to Harry, "Wait here as I get dressed."

Harry nodded, and I entered the bedroom with Alice as I shut the door behind me. After that, I began the laborious process of changing my attire.

 **Thus goes Ella Dawson's afternoon! More POV's to come, and yes, Murdoch is still covered in his "surprise", ha ha. This is my first Titanic story, so I once again would appreciate reviews and suggestions! I may switch back and forth between POV and narrative, but for now, there remains the other sides of the afternoon! Until then, adios!**


	3. Luncheon

**Ben Dawson**

After having exchanged greetings with all of the officers, I distinctly remembered Murdoch and rushed to him as he finished talking with Captain Smith.

"Officer Murdoch, right?" I said with curiosity as I held out my hand to the first officer.

"Yes," Murdoch said with relief as he took my hand. "And you're Ben, right?"

I nodded mirthfully before adding, "Indeed, First Class men don't have as much politeness as the crew on a ship like _this_!"

Murdoch and I exchanged laughter at this before Murdoch pointed in the direction of my sister.

"Not to mention that your sister truly breaks the stereotype."

I sighed wistfully, catching the eye of my sister as she was giggling away with another officer.

"Excuse me, I must find out what Harry finds so _funny_ ," Murdoch said, slightly exasperated, before leaving my side.

Before I had a chance to reflect on this, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I met the gaze of Elizabeth Andrews as she was gesturing to her father, whom was leaving the hall.

"Dad has to dine with a few respectable First Class folk, and so must I," she said. "It was nice to meet you, Ben."

As Elizabeth was walking away, I felt compelled, so I caught back up with her and turned her around.

"Elizabeth," I said, holding my hands on her shoulders to steady myself. "Will Ella and I be seeing you and your father before the voyage is over?"

Elizabeth looked away absentmindedly, as if she was pondering this, before meeting my gaze and replying, "Dinner perhaps. We might all be sitting at the same table."

"Great," I enthused. I took her hand and kissed it lightly before saying, "Until then."

"Until then," she repeated, a smile on her face, before running off to catch up with her father, I assume.

I looked after her, and I could feel my cheeks redden.

…

Half an hour later, I was trudging along the B-deck corridor. I hadn't seen Ella since the mess hall, so I assumed she was getting ready for the luncheon.

I reached Ella's stateroom and knocked firmly. A second later, the door opened, and Ella strode out, now sporting a lovely lavender dress. An officer also came out, the same from earlier.

"Hello, Ben," Ella said playfully as she was closing the door and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Are you ready to grab a bite?"

"That's what I was coming here for, actually," I said, slightly dumbfounded. "What have the two of you been up to?"

"It's a secret," the officer insisted to me politely. He reached out a hand to me and said, "Fifth Officer Harold Lowe."

"Ben Dawson," I said, taken aback. "What kind of secret, exactly?"

Ella exchanged glances with Harry and chuckled before replying, "Oh, you know. Wreaking havoc across the bridge."

I nodded, making a mental note to ask Ella about it later. "Well, off we go to see the atrocious First Class!"

Ella chuckled at my comment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry offer an arm to her as we began our walk.

"How were the officers, Ben?" Ella asked.

"Splendid," I replied truthfully. "And I assume you find this to be true with _this_ fellow!" I elbowed Ella lightly on the arm.

Ella blushed.

"Ben, I assure you, I'm not courting her," Harry insisted.

"We were just playing a _prank_ on _Murdoch_ ," she said.

"Ahh," I said, feeling the realization hit me that Ella and Harry weren't doing anything mature.

"But _Ben_ is courting a girl," Ella whispered to Harry while making eye contact with me. Harry met my gaze and rolled his eyes in amusement.

"I'm twenty four, is that alright?" I asked, though not seriously.

"I'm just teasing!" Ella giggled. " _I'm_ the one who's too young for courting!"

I smiled to myself, fully aware that my seventeen year old sister is not quite ready for the world of suitors.

"Where would you like to sit?" I asked Harry and Ella. Indeed, we had now passed through the sliding glass doors into the A La Carte restaurant.

Ella looked around the entire vicinity before stopping her eyes and motioning to the back corner. "There," she whispered.

I met her gaze and already began to make my way to the desired table. After the three of us settled down, a steward had already come to our table to take our orders.

"Roasted chicken," I said.

"Minted lamb," Ella said.

"I'll have the chicken on rice with the red sauce," Harry spoke.

The waiter nodded and retrieved our menus as he made his way to the bustling kitchen door.

"Could you agree with me that those First Class ladies are atrocious?" I asked Harry.

"They _are_ pretty awful," Harry said after a good laugh.

"And thank goodness _you're_ not one of them!" I said as I playfully nudged Ella.

"Oh, Ben," Ella said as she turned her face away, but not before I caught a blush on her cheeks.

"It's true, isn't it, Harry?" I asked.

Harry also shared my glance at Ella's cheeks. "Thankfully," he sighed.

"Quite honestly, I'm _sick_ of First Class," Ella said in a fit of frustration. "I hate wearing corsets, and I hate going to mindless cotillions. I would much rather travel in steerage."

"Mother would scowl if she heard you talk of this," I said. "She has very high expectations, and you know that she wouldn't let you roam without those undergarments."

"Why does it matter?" Harry spoke up. Ella and I turned to face him in surprise.

"I mean," Harry continued, "you don't need a corset or heavy makeup to look astounding. Girls would look beautiful in natural terms."

"My, my, my," Ella said, shaking her head in disbelief. "You really _are_ a person, not one of those stern officers."

"And _you_ are a thoughtful girl," Harry said with a pat on her shoulder. "Although, First Class mothers are probably not pleasant when interfered."

" _Seriously_?" Ella mocked at him, sarcasm playing in her buoyant blue eyes. "You have no _idea_."

I nodded in agreement as the steward came back with our steaming dishes in his arms. I took the initiative to try a spoonful of the caviar.

"Disgusting," I whined as I spit the grimy gunk into my napkin. "How father eats it, I have no idea."

Harry chuckled before grabbing his spoon and trying the caviar as well. He puffed his cheeks and immediately spitted the remains onto his plate. We exchanged disgusted glances.

"Here, let me try," Ella chirped as she reached across the table to take a spoonful. Taking her first bite, her eyes widened as she spit a green gunk onto the polished wood floor.

"All in favor of caviar being the worst possible food dish known to man," Harry said sarcastically as the three of us raised our arms to the ceiling.

"Enough with that," Ella mused under her breath as she took a bite of lamb.

"Are there any other dishes that I should know about?" Harry asked.

"Frankly, no," I said. "But I despise cigars, but I'm fully aware that other men find them … delightful …" I shuddered at the thought of cigar smoke.

Harry shook his head as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Being the only officer that doesn't suffocate himself in affairs or tobacco, I see your point."

Ella looked at him and me before she stifled a lighthearted laugh and looked away to the other side of the restaraunt.

"It's true," Harry sighed.

I had began to feel full after three courses of food, so I stood up from the table and set my napkin on the table. "Well, it's been nice having you to join us, Harry."

"Likewise," Harry responded, doing the same.

Ella stood up and rushed off through the sliding doors before either of us could notice.

"Where's Ella?" I asked Harry.

Harry shrugged his shoulders before following me through the doors. "She just ran off."

I chuckled before stopping to see Harry check his pocket watch.

"I should probably be going," Harry said. "Thank you for letting me dine with you and Ella for lunch."

"You are certainly welcome," I said. "I hope we can do it again sometime."

"Speaking of that, could you tell Ella to keep her eyes open for any signs of Murdoch?"

"Sure." I gave him a quizzical expression.

Harry nodded at me reassuringly before walking off down the deck towards the bow of the ship.

 **Hope you enjoyed thus far! Sorry it took so long; I had difficulties uploading it, but for now, it's all good! Be sure to review if you have any comments to make! I feel like my work isn't that great, but I'm experimenting as I write this, so I'm not quite sure how the whole romance theme will play out, seeing as it is a double.**


	4. Moments Of Reflection

**Harold Lowe**

I couldn't keep my mind straight as I left Ben and made my way to the bridge. I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets and sighed wistfully.

The whole day had been an interesting affair. It all started when I laid eyes on Ella Dawson in the crew hall. I noticed that she seemed absentminded during all of the introductions, and her features truly were striking. Her eyes were dazzling blue, and her golden hair was elegantly knotted in a bun.

Something about Ella Dawson intrigued me; perhaps it was her contrast to most First Class women, or her amusement to my jokes. In fact, as I performed my prank with her on Murdoch, I felt an unfamiliar sensation as I had caught her in my arms.

Even during the luncheon, she was a lively spirit. We shared an inrefutable hatred for caviar, and she didn't come across as immature.

The other officers were great folk, always making laughs. I could always count on Jimmy to help me with my endeavors, but Ella ... We hardly knew each other, and yet she agreed to my plans without skepticism. I knew that she was going to be a wonderful companion to have during the rest of the travel, especially to help with ... more pranks?

As I continued to trudge along the deck, I fixed my gaze on the vast blue ocean. I rested my arms on the railing, and I closed my eyes, fully taking in the salt air and the warm breeze.

Being a man of twenty nine years, it felt so long ago that I had escaped my father's wrath. Yet it felt like only hours ago; his harsh slaps, his oblivion to my discomfort, and even his lack of leisure felt painful. Running away at fourteen wasn't such an easy thing to do, but it was the most liberating time of my life. Working my way up through the life of a sailor, I was at last sailing on such a grand ship as this.

"Harry." Fifth Officer Harold Lowe. I was single, with no strings attached, and I was bound to the liberty of the sea. Already this voyage had a great start, and I was hopeful for the future.

"Harry."

It felt like I could hear flashbacks of my father's stern voice, forbidding me from a lifestyle of seafaring. Although, to say the least, a life of business and apprenticing is quite dull and pointless…

"HARRY!"

I almost stumbled overboard as I heard someone scream my name. Catching the railing for support, I turned and saw the exasperated face of Lights looking right back at me.

"Sorry, Lights," I said.

Lights shrugged it off with a chuckle and instead asked, "Have you seen Murdoch lately?"

"No, why?"

Lights chuckled, and then guffawed. After wiping his eyes minutes later, he calmed down enough to say, "He's been bombarded!"

I chuckled to myself, remembering me and Ella's involvement.

"It's the talk of the town! And you did _brilliantly_ , must I say!" Lights smiled.

"Well, thank you, Lights, but it wasn't just me. I couldn't have done it without Ella."

"Yes, she is quite the troublemaker," Lights reflected. "Not at all like a First Class snob … perhaps we should all get together, team up, and, you know … begin to wreak some havoc?"

I stroked my chin dramatically and rolled my eyes before saying, "I think we should."

"But anyways, I came here to tell you that it's almost time for _your_ rounds!"

I sighed before putting my cap back on and uttering, "Kill me now."

"That's the spirit, boyo!" Lights said as he clapped me on the back.

…

At last, my rounds were over, and I was strolling along the Third Class deck in the heat of the setting sun. There were sparsely populated groups of people, but dinner was bound to be soon nonetheless, so the decks were scattered.

I found a cluster of benches and sat down upon one. I was exhausted from walking in the heat of the day, although Jimmy was by my side. I was ready to soon dig into a cooked meal in the mess hall.

My rounds were uneventful today, and quite boring. I simply had trudged along the third class deck with Jimmy, and everyone was acting as they should be. Stewards would walk by with dogs, and chatter would emit from the bustling passengers. First class was even more boring and uneventful.

"Tired, huh?"

I looked up into the eyes of a Third Class passenger, most likely a teenager. He had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, just like Ella's.

I turned my gaze back to the horizon and nodded. "Yeah, I've spent most of the afternoon on the deck for watch duty." Seeing as it was scorching hot outside, I unbuttoned my overcoat and laid it down on the bench.

"It must get kind of sweaty in that thing." The blonde boy pointed to my overcoat.

"Pure wool," I said glumly. "But it comes in handy during the late night hours."

The boy offered his hand and said, "Jack Dawson."

"Harry," I said, taking his hand. He had the same last name of Ella, so I felt very compelled to ask, "Are you of relation to the Boston Dawsons."

"I don't think so," he said tentatively. "I'm from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Although, I have traveled a _lot_ back when I was in the states, so maybe I have met them."

"Travel, you say?"

"Yep." He nodded. "From Santa Monica all the way to New York. The accommodations weren't the best, you could say, but my career was satisfying, and it still is."

I gave him a puzzled look.

"Ah," he said, realization hitting him. He sat down beside me and produced a sort of portfolio from under his arm. "I draw portraits.

"May I?"

"Go ahead," he said proudly.

I flipped open the portfolio and flipped through his many drawings, mostly of people. Indeed, they were not cheaply drawn, and I admired his skill and artwork. "You're a very talented young man."

Jack blushed and mumbled a thank you.

"I charged about ten cents a piece," he said as I was rifling through. "It wasn't much, but it was enough for the basics."

"You ought to charge more," I said. "These are worth a great deal more."

Jack waved dismissively before saying, "I didn't want to overcharge. But I did do other things for money, such as poker."

I nodded mirthfully and returned the book before saying, "I hope I can see you again before the end of the voyage. I would love to pay for some sort of drawing or portrait."

"Seeing as you're an officer," Jack remarked, "We're bound to cross paths eventually."

I nodded in agreement. "It was nice meeting you, Jack," I said, shaking his hand again.

"Same to you," Jack said in relief.

Before Jack disappeared out of sight, I ran back up to him, remembering what he had said earlier.

"You say you like poker?"

"Yes, sir," Jack replied. "Why?"

"Come with me," I said with a wink.

Jack immediately understood my message and asked, "Can I bring my friend to play as well?"

"Sure!" I agreed.

"Be right back!" Jack yelled before disappearing down the Third Class steps.

I sat back upon the same bench and stroked the polished wood of the bench. I knew that this would become a long, fun filled night…

 **Aha! Jack Dawson is making a cameo! ;) He will return throughout the story, but for now. I hope you enjoy the story up to this point, although it may be quite a long one … Anyways, see you in the next chapter!**


	5. Admiration

**Elizabeth** **Andrews**

"Who are we dining with, daddy?" I asked, holding tightly onto my father's arm.

"Why, Mr. Ismay, the Astors, and the Dewitt Bukaters," he said.

By now, we were walking down the Grand Staircase, having already dressed for the midday meal. Other people were walking as well to lunch, and we smiled at them as we passed by.

Father and I had a nice, long chat with the officers and the captain after departure. They mainly discussed the success of the ocean liner, and much praise was given to my father, who replied modestly.

Despite all of the conversation around me, my mind was focused on Ben, and so when we were about to leave the hall, I convinced my father to let me speak a little word. Having done that, I felt a rush of excitement. Something about Ben ...

As the fellow stewards opened the glass door, we were greeted by the sight of stewards bustling with trays and glasses. Much conversation was emitted from the tables, and at one table sat an arrogant looking man with a handlebar moustache.

Ismay.

"Tom!" Mr. Ismay said upon our arrival.

Father nodded a hello to him and pulled me through the tables to our seats. Sitting at the table were Mr. Ismay and a few unrecognizable people.

"Everyone, this is my daughter, Elizabeth," my father said, though not too proudly.

"J. Bruce Ismay," Mr. Ismay greeted, kissing my hand.

"John Jacob Astor and here is Madeleine," JJ Astor said while doing the same. Madeleine offered a kind nod.

"Rose," the redhead spoke with a small smile.

"Caledon Hockley, pleasure to meet you," the dark haired man replied, kissing my hand and keeping his eyes on mine.

After we were settled, drinks were brought out, and mindless First Class chatter began. Rose's mother, Ruth I believe, was discussing the engagement between Cal and Rose, to which Rose was rolling her eyes in secret.

I leaned over to Rose, whom was to my left, and whispered, "Is it _that_ bad?"

Rose sighed in relief and responded, "I'm glad to know someone who isn't fed up with themselves. Do you have any suitors, or are you courting anyone?"

In the background, I could hear Mr. Ismay discussing the luxury of Titanic, not to my surprise.

"No," I replied. "Father thinks I should wait, but I don't find any attraction in the nearby gentlemen."

Rose nodded. "I'm sure that you could meet a lovely man on this ship, perhaps one who doesn't care about money."

Hearing this brought the image of Ben to mind: his wondrous green eyes and his contagious smile. "I think I already have…"

I felt a nudge on my shoulder, and I turned to see father motioning to the steward taking orders. "I'll have the roasted lamb."

The steward nodded and took my menu before reaching Rose and Caledon. Awkwardly enough, when it was Cal's turn to order, he said, "I'll also have the roasted lamb."

I shuddered at hearing this and took a long sip of my lukewarm water.

"Darling, are you alright?" my father whispered in my ear.

"Yes," I lied. "But I do need some fresh air."

In response, I stood up from the table and left the dining hall for the deck, despite the looks I was getting from the table.

…

Alas, I was leaning against the rail and breathing in the wonderful salt air. It wasn't the warmest at that moment, but nothing felt quite as good as the lovely ocean. I turned my gaze to the nearby Third Class deck and watched the few people whom were sitting on the benches, chattering excitedly.

I sighed wistfully and returned my gaze to the vast ocean. Oh, how I wish I was with the Third Class right now. First Class was always full of mindless people, but Third Class was a lively group to be a part of.

I heard the sliding glass doors open, and I turned to see Ella running out to my side.

"Elizabeth!" Ella said, giving me a friendly hug.

"Ella!" I responded with the same enthusiasm. "But please, call me Liz."

After she thoughtfully agreed, I looked back at the ocean, deep in thought.

"Liz, what happened?" Ella asked calmly. Her big blue eyes were pleading, and she was making a pouty face.

At last, I couldn't take it, and I blurted out, "Do you know of the Hockley's?"

"Yes, I do," she said. "Why?"

"Well, one of the Hockley's was acting kind of strange towards me, despite the fact that he's engaged."

"Caledon?" Ella asked knowingly.

"Why, yes!" I was taken aback. "How did you know?"

"Being from a well known First Class family," Ella said. "My mother is always in on the gossip of other First Class people. I know that Cal is engaged to Rose Dewitt Bukater. I've seen them before, and Cal is a typical First Class man … but Rose, she's something else." Ella paused. "She is nothing like her mother or Cal. We agree on a lot of things, including the unfair roles of women."

I nodded, knowing what she meant. "On another note," I said tentatively. "… I think I might have feelings for someone."

"WHO?" Ella grasped my shoulders and looked into my eyes with excitement.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't be good enough for him."

"Liz! You are one of the most amazing girls I have ever known!"

I shook my head politely and tried to change the subject by asking, "How were Ben and Harry to-"

"Aha," Ella said, cutting me off and pointing at me accusingly. Putting her hand down, she leaned in and whispered, "It's my brother, isn't it?"

"Well, no. That's absurd …" I tried to turn away from Ella so she wouldn't catch my cheeks, but it was too late, and Ella was already guffawing.

"Liz…"

"I'm not good enough for your brother, am I?"

" _You? Good enough?_ If anyone's not good enough, it would be _Ben!_ " Ella shook her head in bewilderment.

Out in the distance, I could see someone rapidly approaching us. Someone familiar…

"Ella." I prodded her.

Ella was continuing to mutter about all of my supposed qualities.

"Ella," I said more insistently.

"What, Liz?" Ella asked.

"Ben's coming."

Ella turned to catch the sight of Ben around thirty feet away. She leaned in and whispered, "I'll try to get Ben to take you to dinner. And lunch should be finished by now, right? Go on, I'll catch up with you later!"

Ella pushed me away as I began running off in the other direction, unsure of where to go or, more importantly, if Ben shared my feelings.

 **And there we go! You saw that coming, didn't you? Aha, but anyways, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed, and I would appreciate any suggestions or criticism you have. :)**


	6. Alliance

**Ella Dawson**

"Hello, Ben," I said nonchalantly, just as my brother approached me.

"And you, Ella," he chuckled, nudging my shoulder as we treaded along the upper deck. "Where had you run off to?"

"Nowhere in particular," I said in a truthful sense, narrowing through the entrance before Ben. "I needed fresh air, honestly."

Ben simply shrugged and reached for the door handle, as we had now approached our suites. "See you in a little bit, Ella."

"See you, too, doofus," I remarked as I entered into my room and called for Alice. Indeed, dinner would be eventful, tonight…

…

The first thing I noticed as I left my stateroom was the expression on Ben's face. "You look great, little sister." Ben wolf whistled and held out an arm.

Linking onto his arm, I whispered a modest thank you. Indeed, I had changed into a midnight blue dress and curled my hair, but I didn't care much for looks. Of course, mother could always be counted on for scolding at the littlest fashion errors.

Recalling the room number to Mr. Andrews and Elizabeth's cabin, I pulled Ben over to another First-Class hallway and whispered in his ear, "Can we go to pick up a guest or two?"

Although he gave me a quizzical expression, he nodded and joined me at a single door. Boldly, I knocked upon the door, and promptly, Mr. Andrews emerged from the room.

"Good evening, Ella, Ben," he spoke. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh yes," I responded, "I was hoping we could perhaps join you and Elizabeth for dinner tonight."

"Certainly!" Mr. Andrews responded kindly, and he stepped aside to reveal the rest of the party.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ben's starstruck eyes and gaping mouth as Elizabeth joined us in an elegant, champagne colored gown with an equally elegant bun.

Mr. Andrews offered me an arm, to which I gladly took, and the four of us went on our way to the dining saloon.

"I trust you are enjoying your stay on the Titanic, Ella?" Mr. Andrews asked.

"Certainly," I playfully replied. "There is simply so much grandeur and extravagance about this ship. You must be very proud."

"I designed it for people like you, Ella. The idea, though, was Mr. Ismay's."

I nodded, stepping off of the stairs and through the entrance to the dining saloon. Already, the dinner crowds had arrived, chatting and enjoying steaming dishes. Behind me, I heard Ben creating a joke of sorts, for both he and Elizabeth were lightly laughing and chuckling.

We arrived at a large table, filled with some of the officers, Captain Smith, and Mr. Ismay. One of the seated guests was Lights, and he gestured at me to an empty chair on his right. I eagerly sat down and offered my hand to him.

"I believe we haven't properly met. I'm Ella," I said.

"I'm Charles, but please, call me Lights," Lights responded, shaking my hand firmly.

I gave a friendly smile and placed my napkin in my lap. Everyone had already settled into their seats, and a steward came to the table to take orders.

"I hear from Harry and see that you guys have done a little 'trick' on Murdoch," Lights whispered.

I nodded and whispered back, "I had never done anything quite like it."

The steward reached us, and I ordered roast chicken and rice. Lights ordered lamb, the usual.

Taking a sip from my water glass, Lights said, "Harry and I have been thinking about something for a little bit, and we would like to ask you."

"I'm listening," I said, turning to face Lights.

"We realized, after today, that you certainly have potential for mischief."

"Potential?" I gave him an odd expression.

"Well, more than potential. You're a natural at troublemaking. And that is why Harry and I have proposed a suggestion." He paused to take a sip of champagne. "Would you like to join us, to create a team … in other words, to wreak havoc with us?"

I mustered a sly grin and replied, "What do you mean by havoc?"

"Well, for starters, ship officers are infamously known for playing tricks and sorts on each other. What you and Harry did today at Murdoch, that was blinding! Therefore, we knew that you had to join with us, to make such a team. If you will, to cause mischief across the officers quarters and nothing less. To bombard forevermore and straighten up the lookouts… what do you say?"

Without a moment's hesitation, I offered my hand again, to which Lights shook, and I replied, "I will."

Lights gave an eager smile and replied, "Great."

By now, the food arrived, and I set to the task of eating my chicken while Lights regaled me with tales of mischief on Titanic before the voyage had even started. He told me about Harry spiking Smith's tea and Jimmy untying Ismay's shoes. He told me about blasting confetti in Wilde's room and clogging the first class urinals. Without a doubt, I knew that I would be in for a lot of fun.

Before I knew it, dinner had already ended, as Mr. Andrews was bidding farewell and the other officers, too. Lights stood up from his seat and offered to pull my chair out.

Standing up, I replied, "It was nice to chat with you, Lights."

"And you Ella," he said. Taking a glance around, he whispered in my ear, "We shall meet in my room tomorrow at nine. Do you know where that is?"

I shook my head.

"Do you know where the officer's quarters are?" I nodded. "All of the doors have the names of us. You should be able to spot mine."

"Okay. Until then."

"Until then."

I waved bye to Lights and turned my attention to Ben and Elizabeth, whom wre still sitting down.

Walking over to them, I said, "I'm heading back to the room. Will you be staying?"

Ben shared a glance with Liz and replied, "Yes, perhaps an hour or so. See you later, Ella."

"Bye, Ben, Liz!"

They both waved bye as I made my way through the saloon and to the staircase. I could hardly contain my excitement for tomorrow's respective meeting.

 **It's been so long, sorry! I have been overwhelmed with school in the past couple months. I can finally get out some chapters! Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Let's wait and see what happens next time as far as Ella's story goes!**


	7. Shooting Stars

**Ben Dawson**

As Ella was disappearing through the dining entrance, I turned to Liz and gave a small grin, to which she returned and took a sip of water.

For the entire duration of the dinner, I have been astounded and intrigued by Liz; she was, by all definitions, the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. Throughout the meal, we've talked about many topics; I told her about my dull childhood in the upperhand of Boston, and likewise, she told me about her life in Dublin, a beautiful Irish town far from mine. Indeed, she had been courted by several men in her country, but she explained to me that none of the fellows seemed to have true character; additionally, she is only eighteen, and over half as young as the men.

"What would you like to do, Liz?" I asked.

"Anything, so as long as I can do it with you."

After stroking my chin, a wonderful idea popped into my head. Grinning from ear to hear, I gently took her hand and whisper shouted, "Come with me," as I stood up and sped through the mostly empty dining saloon.

"What are we doing?" Liz half laughed as I continued to pull her up the stairs and through the first class entrance.

"You'll see," I said, passing by the deck railing.

At last, after bypassing the side of the ship, we had reached the bow of the ship, and I stopped to catch a breath. Liz, doing the same, put her hand to her chest and shook her head. "What is this."

I chuckled and held out my hand to Liz. "Take my hand."

Liz flashed a lovely smile at me and followed me to the front railing.

"Now, close your eyes."

After doing so, I eased her up to the rail and lifted her up onto the first rung.

Holding her back, I moved her hands to the rail and beckoned, "You can open your eyes."

Upon opening them, Liz gasped and let off a small giggle.

I pointed in front of her to the approaching water line and whispered, "Do you feel the salty breeze?"

She nodded. "Every time I have came onto an ocean liner," I explained, "I come up to the bow of the boat at night, with seldom any people, and I stand on the railing. Simply for this lovely feeling, and contrary to my father."

Liz giggled once again and said, "If you're not careful, something bad could happen. We could fall off."

I wrapped my arms around Liz's waist tightly and rested my chin on her shoulder. "I promise, I won't let you fall. Not without me."

Liz chuckled and turned her heard to mine. Without a moment of hesitation, I leaned in and pressed my lips to her small ones.

Frankly, she didn't pull back, but instead turned around, holding our kiss, and sat upon the railing, her back facing the water, to wrap her arms around my neck. In response, I held her close to me, and we kissed passionately for what seemed like eternity.

Upon breaking away, I lightly panted and smiled at her, still with my arms wrapped upon her waist. "Incredible," I muttered.

Liz simply smiled and turned her head to rest upon my chest, moving her arms to wrap around my back. Without saying more, I inched closer and buried my nose in her brunette locks, of which smelled faintly of lavender.

"Truthfully, I need to get you down on the deck before something bad happens," I whispered, to which she nodded, and I eased her feet onto the wooden deck.

Together, we squatted down and sat upon the deck, facing the darkened sky and noisy ocean. Liz sat between my legs, laying her back against my chest, and I folded my arms across my knees.

Snapping us out of monotony, a miniscule, brilliant, golden light zoomed across the sky. Liz pointed to it and said, "How lovely, a shooting star!"

We shared glances before I turned my eyes back to the star, now disappearing to the horizon. "What did you wish for, love?"

Liz lifted her head and gave me a knowing look. "I wish for us, that nothing could possibly separate our souls into oblivion."

Noticing a tear slide from her eyes, I lifted my hand and wiped it away with my finger. "I promise you, I wouldn't let such a thing happen."

 **There you go; rest assured that something is indeed brewing between Ben and Liz. Thank you, once again, for taking the time to read. Until next time.**


	8. Departures

_April 10, 1912_

 _10 p.m._

Indeed, Ben and Liz had been outside for quite some time, taking in the fresh, night air and enjoying each other's company. Thankfully, no other soul passed through the bow of the ship to interrupt the duo, save for the officers on the bridge.

Now, Ben had offered a hand to Liz, which she took, and they began to stroll breezily across the deck. With Liz's hand in the crook of Ben's elbow, they laughed along to themselves and enjoyed the comfortable silence.

"What's next?" Liz leaned her head up to look into Ben's sea green eyes.

"When shall your father be returning to the stateroom?" Ben asked.

"He usually returns around, say, fifteen after ten."

Ben let out a light gasp and grasped Liz's hand as he began to lead them toward the grand staircase.

"Ben, don't fret! We have plenty of time to get there."

Ben chuckled and replied through his gasps of breath, "I don't want your father to worry."

Liz only smiled that this, and they continued down the stairs and at last to the hallway of her room.

Standing in front of her, Ben lifted her hand and planted a light kiss upon the back. "I had a wonderful time tonight."

Liz sighed wistfully. "Me, as well." Without thinking, she reached up on her toes and wrapped her arms around Ben in an embrace.

Ben returned the embrace, hugging her tightly with an unrelenting smile tugging at his mouth. Towering over her, he rested his chin on top of her head and mumbled, "I hope to see you in the morning."

Liz smiled back at him as she opened the door to her stateroom and walked in. Before shutting the door, she leaned her head out and whispered, "Until we meet again."

Ben produced a lovely smile and responded, as the door closed, "Until then."

"That was incredible!" Jack Dawson mused as he walked outside on the deck with an Italian man, known as Fabrizio. "We have to do it again sometime!"

"Indeed," Harry replied with a youthful grin, thrusting his hands inside his coat pockets. It was Harry's idea to invite Jack and his friend, Fabrizio, to one of the poker matches, held in the crew quarters. While most of the officers gave confused expressions, Harry simple shrugged and replied that the boys were here to play a nice game of poker.

Of course, money wasn't used in the game, but instead, services and bottle of beer and wine were bartered between the officers. While Lightoller seemingly had bad luck when he joined halfway into the game, Jack proved to all the officers his abilities, indeed shown in his lucky hands.

"That was good drink, no?" Fabrizio said aloud.

"Yep, pal," Jack said with a pat on his back. "But we must be off, Harry. You may be a friendly officer, but I don't think any of the first or second class passengers will act the same way toward us."

Harry sighed as he opened the second class gate for the boys to enter through. As he closed the gate, he agreed that most of the people on the ship had pride and prejudice towards people of lower class and money. Of course, Harry wasn't well off, for the officer positions didn't pay so well as thought to be, but he certainly wasn't poor, and he hoped for the best for the fellow boys.

"I suppose this is it," Jack said. At last, they had reached the third class gate in a couple minutes, and Harry had begun to sigh for the men.

"I hope you fellows have a great night," Harry honestly replied. "In the future, you may be able to join us for another game of cards. Until then, goodnight."

"Goodnight!" Jack and Fabrizio said at the same time to Harry, giving off kind smiles.

Harry upturned his mouth in a grin and offered a firm wave as he turned away from the fellow men and made his way back to the gate.

As she closed the stateroom door, Ella sank in glee. For certain, the dinner had went lovely, not to mention the upbringing of a mischievous trio for the voyage.

As a result, she was left in high spirits; not even the labor of removing her corset with the help of Alice could dull her spirits.

"Pardon me, Miss Dawson, but you seem to be in a good mood," Alice reflected as she undid the last string on the white corset.

Ella turned her head to face the maid and gave a genuine grin. "Indeed, Alice. And please, Ella is fine."

"Well, Ella, I will be retiring for the evening now. Until then, I'll wake you in the next morning."

"Thank you," Ella replied as the adjoining room's door shut closed.

Ella strode to the elegant mirror and caressed her soft cheeks. Although she was enthralled for the respective meeting, she didn't want to seem restless and sore for the happening.

Finally, she hopped into the silk bed sheets and tucked herself in. With a lovely sigh, she clicked off the remaining light of the lamp and rested her head upon the pillow, nonetheless eager for the meeting.

 **At last! :) For this chapter, I thought that third person point-of-view would be appropriate to tie up the loose ends. I'm unsure if I should continue on in first person or utilize the outside view, but nonetheless I'll play around with it and keep it interesting.**


	9. Drygioni

_April 11, 1912_

 _Officer's Quarters, 8:43 a.m._

Early the next morning, Ella awoke to the brilliant sunlight streaming in and Alice's soft prodding. Zealously, she strode softly through the deserted hallways, save for a couple stewards, and snuck through the bridge to the stairs.

Indeed, as she glided past Harry's room, the door opened, and she was greeted with a wild haired officer.

"Harry!" she hissed, though in a teasing tone, while she brought her hands to his head and slicked it down. "Your hair's all lopsided!"

Harry chuckled and ruffled Ella's soft curls. "I simply woke up," he said in a gentle tone.

Looking down both ends of the corridor, Harry opened the second officer door and gestured Ella in before he shut it closed.

"Good, is everyone present?" Lights asked Ella and Harry as they situated themselves on the floor of Lights' room in the officer hall. Although the first class staterooms in the ship were grand and large, the officer quarters were rather small and cramped. Regardless, Ella seemed to be fascinated by the little English trinkets and printed photographs strewn on the walls of the room, such as an old photo of Lights with a beautiful woman, presumably his wife. (Doing so, Harry took the opportunity to notice this and chuckled to himself, fully aware of Ella's curiosity in the smallest things.)

Mockingly, Harry shared glances with Ella and replied with a hint of sarcasm, "Lights, we're all present."

"Right, then," Lights said. Rubbing his palms, he continued, "Now onto business. We have to come up with a clever name for this trio, if you will."

Ella stroked her chin with a delicate finger and mused, "Havoc-ers?"

Lights paused a moment and shook his head. "No, it has to be really clever."

The trio returned to stroking their chins and pondering on an astounding name.

"How about … _drygioni_?" Harry said at last.

Lights widened his eyes and turned to his left to face Harry, as if they had discovered buried treasure. "You know, Harry, that's not half bad! And what is it, one of those words of your little language?" Lights said while spinning circles with his finger, trying to recall the "little language".

" _Welsh_ ," Harry corrected him with a knowing glance and a hand on Lights' shoulder, "and it means 'mischief'. At least for the occasion." Lights nodded in return.

Ella gave an approving look and spoke aloud, "So, _drygioni_. What's next?" She looked to the two men with mirth in her blue eyes.

"We have to find a victim, of course," Lights spoke. "But we can't just pick anyone. Ismay will have a fit if we unsettle the rich snobs, so to speak."

"But what about that Hockley fellow?" Ella spoke up.

Both Harry and Lights dropped their jaws. "Ella, love," Lights spoke to her with a hand on her shoulder, "that would not go down so well."

"But why not?" Harry chimed in. "Who cares if he files a lawsuit against our petty little schemes? We are, after all, a sly trio."

"Yeah!" Ella agreed. Turning back to Lights, she said, "And nobody's done anything of the sort to First Class passengers as far as I'd know. We'd be the first!"

Lights sighed, realizing that he couldn't possibly convince them otherwise. "Okay, first target is Hockley. What shall we do, then?"

"Well, for starters, we can't be too direct. After all, I don't want the both of you to lose your jobs," Ella replied, stroking the soft, gray rug on the floor.

"In that case, we could prepare another barrage, perhaps," Harry reflected, stroking his nimble fingers along the fabric. (Indeed, he absentmindedly followed Ella's movements, of which Lights took notice.) Looking up to meet Lights' and Ella's gaze, he continued, "along the first class corridor, maybe?"

Lights nodded. "I could fetch some ice from the crew's kitchen freezers. We could set off some cubes from a corner of his hallway. Give him a fright maybe."

"Great," Harry said. Sharing an agreeable glance from Ella, he asked the two, "So when do the rich folk usually wake?"

"Probably around now," Lights thought out loud. "But regardless, we have to find his room number."

"I know someone who may have it," Ella snapped her fingers. "But when shall our prank commence?"

"Maybe when the gentlemen would be returning from the morning breakfast," Lights said. "Ella, do you think you could find the room while Harry and I gather the supplies?"

"Certainly," Ella mustered with enthusiasm, and she bounced up to reach for the door.

Before Ella could turn the knob, Lights and Harry each laid a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Ella, meet us at the first class entrance on deck. Don't make a spectacle of yourself, and make sure you have the _right_ room. We certainly don't want to surprise someone of a gentler disposition," Lights instructed her.

"All right, got it," Ella nodded before escaping through the corridor.

Harry and Lights moved out of the door and watched Ella sprint down the crew hall.

"We are in for a wonderful voyage, Lights," Harry spoke while placing a brotherly hand on Lights' shoulder, of whom was a mere couple inches shorter.

Lights shook his head with a hidden smirk and smacked Harry away on the shoulder (though not harshly).

Harry rubbed his shoulder tenderly before following Lights down the corridor.

…

After consulting Elizabeth about the Hockley room, Ella graciously walked through the corridors, though beaming on the inside for the upcoming prank.

Alas, she walked onto the deck in the early morning light and led herself over to the figures of two officers suspiciously posted near the first class entrance.

"Guys, you're being too obvious," Ella whispered once she reached earshot. "We have to be sly."

Lights shrugged, as if it meant nothing, and responded, "We were being sly, Ella. And now, shall we, _drygioni_?"

"We shall," Harry agreed, and the three began the descent down the grand staircase in First Class.

As they casually bypassed an elderly couple, Ella asked the boys, "Are the supplies set and ready?"

"Indeed," Harry mused in her ear. "And the corridor of the fellow …"

"A-corridor," Ella answered.

"Great," Lights chimed in as they picked up pace and quietly made their way to the opposite end of the corridor.

Upon reaching the end, Ella held a finger to the boys to keep them from blurting out loud and told them the number while Lights stationed himself with the ice bucket.

"Now listen, boys. I know the First Class like the back of my hand, and I know that people won't take kindly to an event like this. We have to make sure no one sees us, and when we lure Hockley into the hall, we'll have to make for it when he gets to his senses."

Lowering her voice more, she spoke, "I'll do the honors of arousing Cal to the corridor without making a clatter. All you need to do is wait for me, and together we'll watch the events unfold."

Lights and Harry exchanged glances. (Undoubtedly, they knew that Ella years of experience in the department of foolery, and they could only hope to come to know other troublemakers like her.) "I wish you luck," Lights replied, "when this is over and done and Hockley becomes inquisitive."

Ella gave Lights a warm smile before sprinting off in the distance and making some sort of noise.

From afar, Harry and Lights watched as Ella sprinted hurriedly across the corridor to reach them.

"Now, Lights!" she hissed.

Just before a door click became audible to the trio, Lights took the bucket of ice and swung it forward, allowing the laws of motion to skid the ice across the corridor a couple doors shy of the target.

Indeed, as the door opened and Hockley strode out in his daytime suit, Lights retaliated the bucket seemingly out of nowhere and released a second wave of ice, even more than the first.

Successfully, their accurate timing and agility cause all of the ice to flash across the A-corridor and startle Hockley, thus causing him to slip and skid across the floor in the opposite direction.

Thankfully, the victim was faced away from the corner, for Lights, Harry, and Ella took off with their buckets like lightning and dodged around the corners.

"E.J. won't be pleased to find out about this," Lights puffed as they reached an identifiable crew closet to stuff their buckets in.

"Don't worry, Lights, he won't. Don't doubt our strengths," Harry spoke through breaths as the trio reached a different exit onto the well-lit deck.

Indeed, it was already late morning, with more pedestrians at work along the miles of deck, and several people grew startled as they stumbled to the railing.

Ella let out a soft laugh and leaned her back against the white railing, catching her breath and living in the precious moment.

Harry gave himself a fit of accented laughter before leaning beside Ella and placing his arms on her shoulders. They shared laughter and smiles, thus bringing Lights into the mix. Together, the trio hugged each other and relished the moment, for not too many moments like this would come in three days time.

 **More apologies for the delayed upload! School, concert band, and sports certainly take a toll on me! Regardless, I hope to continue this story. Hopefully, you found the prank to be "amusing", though pretty risky; I wonder, what might become of Cal? Anyways, I hope my story is enjoying to you guys, and I will see you next time. :)**


	10. Simpler Pleasures

_April 11, 1912_

 _9 a.m._

Early the next day, Ben awoke with an unrelenting smile. From his memory, he cherished and sighed over the previous evening with Elizabeth, especially of Liz's hand tenderly tucked into his own. Indeed, he had been enjoying a wonderful voyage thus far, and he had hope for the near future.

Unfortunately, Ben remembered, he already had a decent young woman awaiting his presence at home. Indeed, it would cause such a scandal for his parents and in the town of Boston if he were to be caught gallivanting with a girl other than his own. However, the more Ben thought, the more he realized that Beatrice, his love, was not truly his love. Instead, he found more truth and love with even the likings of Elizabeth Andrews.

Thus making his decision to go out in search of the elegant Liz, Ben finished tying his leather shoes and strolled out into the hallway, looking for any signs of the girl. He passed by a familiar face, assumingly a friend of his mother, and he gave a polite nod to said woman, but he grew in solicitude when he entered the corridor with the Andrews' suite and saw no signs of Liz or her father.

Just as he was about to turn around and make his way back to the Grand Staircase, he felt a gentle pair of hands upon his shoulders. Familiar with the scent of lavender and the gentleness of the hands, he took the hands into his own and turned around to encounter the buoyant smile of Liz.

"Good morning, love," Ben said as he wasted no time in wrapping his muscular arms around her small frame, burying his nose in the luscious curls. He sighed in the perfection of the moment, for he had indeed found the one thing he was looking for, and tightened his grip.

"Good morning, Ben," Liz sighed, hugging him back the same and resting her head against his chest. She, too, relished his steady heartbeat through her ears, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Without breaking away, she asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

"Wonderfully, I must say, and I can same the same for you?" He chuckled and pulled her away to catch her wavering giggles. Liz nodded her head slightly and brought her hand up to his head, for a stray strand of his hair was sticking out. He took a moment to savor how adorable she was before he held out his elbow for her.

Reading his thoughts into his actions, Liz took his elbow gracefully, brushing her hand against his, and rested her hand in the perfect crook of his arm. Together, they strolled back to the staircase and made their descent to the First Class dining saloon.

Once inside the large room, they found a quaint table, facing the beauty of the sea hidden behind the window. Being a proper gentleman, Ben pulled out a chair of Liz, and she offered a grateful smile as he tucked it in. He took his seat across from her and reached for the jug of ice water on the table to pour a refreshing glass. Taking a sip, he upturned his mouth and reached across the table for Liz's hand.

"How is your father?" Ben offered to her as he rubbed his thumb smoothly on the back of her hand. Liz chuckled at this and gave a sincere nod.

"Quite well," She sighed wistfully with a faraway look in her deep brown eyes. She turned her gave back to him and continued, "Father came in ten minutes or so after you left, and we stayed up a little to talk about our days. He told me about the way the First Class passengers he had dined with yesterday were speaking of the grandeur and magnificence of this ship."

She paused for effect before adding, "As wonderful as the boat truly is, everyone is mistaken that it cannot sink."

Ben sighed, for he shared Liz's and her father's opinion. In a soft, gentle tone for only her to hear, he responded, "Truth be told, _no_ ship is unsinkable. Though it is true that your father was incredibly brilliant in the design of this vessel, it is made by human hands. It _can_ sink."

A steward stopped by their table with a tray of breakfast foods, and Ben and Liz took the opportunity to pick and choose the French toast with eggs. Ben savored a bite of the toast, covered with maple syrup, before Liz continued on.

"I told my father last night about our evening together."

Ben grew anxious and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "What did he say?"

"Oh, Ben," Liz whispered playfully. She savored the scrambled eggs, swallowed, and shook her head mirthfully at Ben."We need not keep secrets. My father finds you to be a true gentleman. Don't fret."

Ben let out a sigh of relief and finished the rest of his toast. "That's great to hear. I was hoping I wouldn't have to drag you off in privacy for every little outing."

Liz laughed softly at this, finding him to have a delightful sense of humor, and she rested her hand on his knee. "Thank you, though, for your gallantry in keeping us together. That won't be necessary."

Ben shared a chuckle with her and stood from his chair, placing his napkin on the table. He walked over and pulled Liz's chair out. "With all of the men on this boat and in America, I could lose you awfully quick."

Liz linked her arm through his once again, and he led the both of them through the dining saloon to the stairs. She ran her free hand through her chocolate brown curls and treaded it over the polished wooden banister.

The two of them walked in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and gazing out in the distance at the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. Liz, being closer to the deck railing on the port side, perked her ears up to the audible sound the blue waves made against the momentum of Titanic. She found it pleasant, being of a simple nature, and she soon found herself grinning solely.

Ben watched Liz as she did so, and likewise, he smiled inwardly at her. He mindfully released his arm from Liz and took her hand in his own. Softly, he threaded his fingers through hers and gave a gentle squeeze. Liz looked up and met his knowing expression; he, in turn, tugged at the corners of his mouth to resemble that of a smile, and she contagiously did the same. She leaned in and placed her arm through his, at last laying her head on his shoulder.

Ben moved his free arm and placed it protectively over Liz's and spoke aloud, "I suppose we should find something intriguing to do this morning. Would you … perhaps like to join me to Second Class? I hear there's a library on board."

"That sounds lovely," Liz said with a smile.

And so Ben and Liz found themselves in the vacant library in the midst of the ship. Together, they roamed through the shelves, amusing themselves to no end with the titles, and sat upon a plush leather couch. Indeed, they found many books of which they had read in their many years of schooling, and they never hesitated to share many laughs and sighs. Liz had even taken to laying across Ben's lap, for she claimed to grow tired as the day wore on. Nevertheless, they ended up laying together on the couch, with Liz nestled between Ben's arm and the couch. Even the quiet librarian, whom soon entered after a brief lunch, kept herself from the young couple, but instead smiled to herself at the pleasant sight.

 **A penny for your thoughts, nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed this addition! I f you have any requests or comments to make, I would gladly appreciate it if you gave some below. Until then. :)**


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